No, Ant-Man Is Not Marvel's Biggest Risk

There's a persistent narrative hanging around all discussion of Ant-Man, Marvel's next superhero introduction to the MCU. People are concerned. Could this be the moment the Marvel bubble bursts? I think, and I might be proven wrong in this, that the answer will be a resounding no. It is true that the production has been troubled. Original director Edgar Wright, who made his name with comedy films Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz and had been attached to the project since early development, left the film just before shooting began, citing creative differences with the studio. And the film's titular superhero, Ant-Man, isn't that well known and, crucially, just doesn't sound all that cool.

But we are forgetting something. This is Marvel. This time last year we were all wondering how on earth they could sell a movie that featured a talking racoon and a walking tree. And yet, that movie became one of the biggest hits of last year. In 2014 Marvel showed us all that they are not afraid to tear things down (see the Hydra reveal of Captain America: The Winter Soldier), and that a movie about a ragtag group of outsiders can still work, even if one of those outsiders is a vocally challenged tree. So relax, Internet. Have a little faith. Let's stop wondering when it's all going to go wrong, and enjoy the great films of a studio still reaching its peak.